You are standing on an open cliff, overlooking
a prairie below. It is shortly before dawn and you have come here
to do your magickal work.

The sky is muted, pale blue overhead fading into
a gentle rose-pink near the eastern horizon where the sun will rise.
Relax as you stand on the cliff, watching the sky. Whisps of clouds
drift by, strings of gray stretching across the horizon. They are
distant and lazy, and you know they will burn off by morning.

~~Long pause~~

The air currents are still as you breathe deep
in the chill, yet soon-to-warm, morning and your breath steams out, hovering
in front of you. For just a moment before its gone. Now, step
to the edge of the cliff and stretch your hands out to the sky. In
a voice that echoes across the valley call out:

As the last echo fades away, you see a huge bird
winging towards you. It is a giant red-tailed hawk and it soars in
to land on the cliff next to you.

"Climb aboard my back. I will take you to
Eurus, " she says and you straddle her behind her wings and hold on to
the lavender straps that will give you balance. She crouches, then
takes to the air. Your weight seems to present no problems and you
find yourself flying far overhead the cliff and the valley below.

~~Long Pause~~

The hawk climbs higher and higher, and you soon
lose track of the ground altogether. After a while the hawk heads
for a could formation, soft strings drifting across the sky, which is the
color of a robin's egg. Finally she lands on the edge of one.
"Here is where you get off," she says. "Don'tworry, the clouds will hold your weight."

You climb off the hawk's back and find the clouds
soft but substantial beneath your feet. The hawk flies away and,
in another moment she is a small speck in the sky.

You hear laughter in the distance, growing closer.
A being of air sweeps up. The cool, crisp breezes of morning accompany
him and he laughs again, and each breath washes you clean of cobwebs and
stagnation.

~~Long Pause~~

"I am Eurus, Master of the Eastern Wind, "he says.
"Touch me and know my powers." You reach out and touch his hand.

As your fingers enter the wind-stream around Eurus,
you find your mind growing alert, aware. You feel clear-headed and
your thoughts come rapidly and coherently. Everything seems brighter,
smells cleaner and now you see the breeze rush through your aura, cleaning
away the stagnant energy that has accumulated there. A rush of exhilaration
snaps you to attention.

~~Long Pause~~

"You see," he says, "My winds have the power to
purify you, to free you from old habits. I am the wind of new beginnings.
I am quicksilver, the wind of thought and communication. In my presence
you will never be at a loss for words." And then, Eurus gives you
a feather. It is from the hawk. "Whenever you have need of
my powers, use this feather to call them forth. Or call on the hawk
to bring the east winds. "And now, "he says, "the next step of your
journey awaits." With a rush, Eurus departs.

~~Long Pause~~

You tuck the feather away and turn to the edge
of the cloud. You raise your hands to your mouth and call out into
the clear blue sky. "Notus, Wind of the South! Firey and radiant!
Aid me in my magickal journey!" As you wait you see a winged creature
approaching. It is not the hawk, but a gigantic bird covered in flames,
golden and orange and brilliant red. A phoenix... and it lands beside
you.

"Climb on my back, and I will take you to Notus,"
She says. You approach her, expecting to feel an intense heat radiating
from her body, but instead a gentle warmth seeps through.. You are protected
from her fire by the Gods who sent her. Climb aboard her back and
take hold of the golden straps to hold you tight.

~~Long Pause~~

She takes flight and you soar through the air,
rising toward another cloud. This cloud is huge, white...puffed cotton
gone wild. The phoenix lands carefully on the edge and allows you
to dismount, then flies off again, a brilliant fireball in the sky.

You stand but a moment when you hear a laughter
like thunder, a huge bellowing chuckle. The being that approaches
comes in a hot cackling wind and you feel the hairs on your arm rise, caught
in static electricity.

~~Long Pause~~

"Welcome to the home of Notus, " he says, and
his voice echoes across the plain. "Feel my power and understand my radiance!"

You reach out to touch the energy of the Master
of the South Wind. As your fingers meet his, the wind sweeps down
around you and crackles, electricity at its strongest. You feel your
mind lead with passion, the passion to act and to create. Stories,
poems...pictures, they all grounded here. You feel the words swirling
around you, they are just waiting for you to call them in. Your body shivers,
this wind is sensuous and plays gently, caressing and teasing you, like
hundreds of fingers tracing out patterns on your skin.

~~Long Pause~~

"You see, " says Notus, "I am the wind of creativity,
the wind that brings you the scent of new-mown hay where you lie down in
passion with your love. I am the wind that precedes lightning." And
then, he gives you a feather from the phoenix. "Whenever you have
need of my powers, use this feather to call me forth, or call on the phoenix
to bring the southern winds. Now, the next step of your journey awaits!"
And with a rush, Notus departs.

~~Long Pause~~

You go to the edge of the cloud and call out,
"Zephyrus, Wind of the West! Gentle and Buoyant! Aid me in my magickal
journey!" Watching, you see a winged creature approach. It
is a giant blue heron, and it lands beside you.

"I will take you to Zephyrus, " She says softly,
and you climb aboard and grab hold of the blue straps and find yourself
once more aloft.

~~Long Pause~~

The heron brings you to a cloud that is darker
than the others. It rolls across the sky at twilight, hinting of
rain, black and full of moisture. As it lands, you climb off and
the heron flies away, leaving you alone.

You do not have to wait long. Soon another
wind spirit rumbles up to meet you. His face is somwhat mournful.
He does not laugh, but remains melancholy, yet you fee that he is at peace
with the world and himself.

~~Long Pause~~

"I am Zephyrus," he says, "Master of the
West Winds. I bid you feel of my powers and stay as long as you need."

You reach out and are swept into the storm.
The rain pounds around you, this wind is full of moisture and blows cool
against your skin. It whispers of peace in thought and action, of
turning inward to look at yourself. It blows through your life and
cleanses you of old wounds. It brings the rains of autumn to clear
the air and make way for the frost.

~~Long Pause~~

"Behold," he says, "I am Zephyrus, and I bring
you to the joys and sadness of the heart. I blow into your life when
the mists are needed to cushion you, and I bring the fog to protect you
from sight. I am the wind of autumn, and of the beautiful sunset
when the air is cool, when birds wing gently home. I bring fertility and
respite."

He hands you a feather from the heron. "Use this
when you have need of my powers, or call on the heron to bring you the
west winds. Now, the next step of your journey awaits you."
He drifts off , leaving you alone.

~~Long Pause~~

Once again you stand on the edge of the cloud
and raise your hands to your mouth again. "Boreas, Wind of the North!
Rushing and Mightly! Aid me in my magickal journey!"

And then, as your call goes ringing out, you see
a bird gliding towards you. It is a giant eagle, and she lands and waits
for you to climb on her back. The straps you take hold of are black.
She rises silently and you know she is taking you to the realm of Boreas,
Master of the North Wind.

This sky is grey, sparkling with frost, and you
land silently, muffled, and the eagle rises and leaves you with no words.
A bitter chill sweeps down and you hear the wind whirl up around you, swirling
with snowflakes, and Boreas, Master of the North Winds, stands gravely
before you.

~~Long Pause~~

"I am Boreas, and I bring with me sleep, the winds
that clear the trees of their leaves, the wind that cries out, destroying
old patterns and habits that lie in my path. I clear depression and
anxiety and envy from your heart, leaving a void to be filled by the east
wind. Know that without me, there would be no beginning, for there
must be an end to all things before new life can take hold. I guard
the road of the dead, and ghosts live in my cry, and old memories.... leave
them to me, free yourself of your chains, I will sweep them up.

~~Long Pause~~

"And now," he says, handing you an eagle feather,
"you must attend the last stage of your journey."

"Use this feather to call me, or bid the eagle
to bring you the north wind. But be aware, I will most surely come."
Sparkling with frost, Boreas glides off in the muffled night

~~Long Pause~~

You stand on the edge of the cloud and realize
you have made the circuit. All but the center. As you watch,
a winged horse comes flying up and you climb aboard Pegasus' back.
It carries you aloft, far higher than you have ever been. You are
dizzy with the flight, spinning and whirling in the air.

~~Long Pause~~

You find yourself on the edge of a rainbow, and
Pegasus bids you dismount. As you do so, you hear a sweet singing,
chimes in the wind and you turn to see a woman dressed in hues of pale
blue and lavendar, with golden threads woven through the sliken veils.
She wears a necklace of diamonds and her hair is pulled back in a tight
chignon covered with a net of spiders web to keep it neat.

~~Long Pause~~

"Welcome," She says, and her voice is the
echo of spring, the call of early morning. "Welcome to the realm
of the Queen of Air."

She invites you to sit on the rainbow bridge and
sits beside you, bouquet of white daisies in her hand. "You have
journeyed far to learn of my element and so I will tell you of the nature
of air, element of the East. Know this: that without air there is
no life. Without my breath you cease to exist. Without me, this world
would be but a lifeless orb floating in space. I am essential, as
are all elements for survival."

"I am mist and fog, vapors trailing the wind.
I am the wind, and the breeze, the still currents of air on a got summer's
night. Without me, fire would not exist, and earth would bear no
life, and the water could support no fish."

~~Long Pause~~

And then, the Queen of Air looks at you and says,
"What would you ask of me? What do you need from me?"

Think carefully, then ask of her and listen to
her reply.

~~Long Pause~~

When she has spoken, she reaches out and helps
you to your feet and you feel the cool promise of morning, beckoning
you to rise from the bed, for a new day awaits. " Slide down the rainbow,"
she says. "It will take you home.

And then she is gone.

You look at the rainbow. It is steep but
very wide, and when you sit down on it, you find there is no way to fall
off. You push off with your hands and find yourself speeding down
the arc, watching the sky curve as you descend.

~~Long Pause~~

You breathe deeply, calming yourself, for you
are traveling faster than you thought. And you count down from 10
to 1, each beat bringing you closer to the earth below.